Beloved Reader!

Many of us sincerely want to cultivate a daily healing practice, but wonder how to fit this into an already busy life. Doe this sound like you? This month’s post is about how you might use a daily bath or shower to deepen a loving connection with your body, mind and spirit. All you need is willingness to try, and some unhurried time.  

When you lay your hands on one of your precious body parts to lather, rinse or towel off, say to it “I love you“. This can be done silently or aloud, but say it like you really mean it. And notice what happens. You may find that it’s easier to say "I love you" to some parts than others. You may avoid some spots, or find your mind wandering. All of this is good! It is all information. Don’t judge, don’t label, don’t think you’re doing it wrong. Those are the things that get in the way. Let all of that stuff go.

Instead, bring your focus back to the feeling of love itself. There is an essence out of which the words “I love you” take shape and are born. See if you can dive into that place that precedes the words, the place where love is an energy, where it is a pure feeling. Continue, as you contemplate and vibrate with this energy. You are transforming your bathing ritual into a meditation of love. Love is the reconnecting energy between your consciousness and the part of your body that you are touching. You’re touching with your hands, and you are also touching with your mind. And because you are dealing with love, you are also touching with your heart.

Breathe in a gentle, smooth and relaxed manner; this is key. This will keep everything soft. Sometimes challenging emotions or memories will come up; they might even take you off guard. And if you forget to breathe, there is a greater likelihood that you will jump into that reactive place of judgement. And once you judge or label, the flow of energy stops. The tender unfolding of the story is interrupted, and you will have stopped at at the same place at which you always stop.

However, if you do happen to catch yourself judging, don’t worry; it’s quite normal. We all go through it, and it will continue to crop up in your practice. Get used to it. Make friends with it. Say to it: “Oh, hi, it’s you again! You’re welcome to come along, but I’m just going to keep on breathing and I’m going to keep on exploring.” And drop back into your breath. Wait until you feel relaxed and collected, and then continue your journey. If your thoughts and emotions stay supple, no obstacle will bog you down. Or if something does get to you, it won’t stop you for very long, because now you know how to move through it and how to get beyond it.

Always return to love. Use your breath to bring you back to the heart of the matter. When you combine love, breath and touch together, you can move mountains!

P.S. If you enjoyed this exercise, you might like to check out the workshop on Loving Touch QiGong, details below. In any case, please let me know how your healing ritual goes. 

Sending Blessings and Radiant Love to You. May all beings feel peaceful and whole.

~ Karusia Nirmala